Respiratory infections, particularly upper respiratory infections (“URIs”) are very common and cause substantial suffering and hundreds of millions of dollars of economic loss every year. The majority of the pathogens contributing to upper respiratory tract infections are spread through air and through direct contact by touching of hands to infected surfaces and then touching hands to eyes, nose, or mouth. The nasopharynx, nasal passages, and sinus cavities all play an important role in filtering and housing the majority of these pathogens.
The prevention of viral infections is typically accomplished by administering antiviral vaccines. Vaccines still cannot effectively prevent an outbreak or epidemic because these viruses easily mutate rendering the vaccine ineffective. Some treatments such as interferon or interleukin-2 therapy can inhibit virus replication and improve cell-mediated immune function, but are expensive and are associated with adverse reactions in some instances.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is one pathogen that infects the respiratory tract of humans. RSV is a member of the genus Pneumovirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. Human RSV (HRSV) is the leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract disease in young children and is responsible for considerable morbidity in the elderly and immunocompromised patients. Due to incomplete resistance to RSV in the infected host after a natural infection, RSV may infect multiple times during childhood and adult life. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is also a pneumovirus, belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family, which cause a spectrum of diseases similar to RSV, although it is less common than RSV. There is no vaccine or treatment available for either of these infections.
Thus, there is a need for additional methods for the regulation of viral infections and host defenses.